Just a Glass of Water
by Li-Bai - Opus 3 No. 2
Summary: Just a little AUish thing that I wrote for a creative writing exercise in English. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I had writing it.


**A/N: **I don't own Final Fantasy VII!The reason this is written how it is is because I wrote it for an English creative writing exercise on the theme of 'Water' (the teacher set it out for us ;3)

Of course, goes without saying that I was hit by a thought straight away 333 Pity the teacher said we had to do brainstorms. Ah well. I just scribbled down a few adjectives xDD

Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! 3

**Just a Glass of Water**

Zack sat, slumped at the bar of Seventh Heaven, his chin resting on the wooden surface. Bored and somewhat listless, he stared mindlessly at the glass of water that the barmaid had brought out for him, his eyes blank. The chatter and laughs of the bar's patrons surrounded him but he was off in a world of his own.

He studied the water and the rainbows of light that the glass threw onto the bar, twinkling lights that disappeared briefly as a cloud passed over the face of the midday sun. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he watched the spectrum of colours return.

Somebody jostled him as they passed by. Zack frowned a little as the water's previously still state was shattered and a ripple ran over the fragile surface. Just like the peace. Midgar was a beautiful city to be in, but the peace could be run over by war just as easily as any other place. Just like Nibelheim. Zack had just been dismissed from a mission in the quiet mountain village by his superior.

Nibelheim used to be a lovely, remote little village that was now ravaged by war and riddled with sadness and grief. Zack had been sent there not as a fighter, but as a missionary, to help survivors clear away the wreckage and to help them through their losses.

It's strange, Zack mused. How a Soldier's hands like mine can heal as well as kill. Peace is so much harder to restore than to destroy. Another ripple disturbed the surface of the water. A few seconds passed before it was completely still again.

A small hand tugged at his shirt at the waist.  
"Uncle Zack?"

Zack glanced down, and then grinned, straightening up on his seat and flicking a lock of his spiky black hair from his violet eyes.

"Hey there, kiddo," he said cheerfully. Marlene smiled up at him, a large moogle plush toy dangling from her left hand.

Zack loved Marlene. She was so adorable, with her hair drawn back into that plait and her large, inquisitive brown eyes. Such a polite kid too. Even though they weren't related, she insisted on calling him Uncle.

"So," he lifted Marlene onto the empty bar stool beside him with ease. "What's up?"

The young girl shrugged a shoulder cutely and a stray curl of light brown hair brushed against her cheek.

"Not much."

"Where's Barret?"

"Papa's out in the Oil fields again," Marlene answered simply. Her gaze wandered over to Zack's glass of water.

"Do you want one?"

Marlene nodded. "Yes, please,"

Zack reached over the bar and groped around under the counter before producing a glass similar to his own. He turned on the tap and held the glass under the steady flow of water.

"Say when," he said to Marlene.

"When," Marlene called when the glass had filled halfway. Zack set the glass in front of her, turning off the tap.

"Thank you,"

"You're welcome kid." Zack gently clapped Marlene on the shoulder, his hand rough and calloused from fighting, despite the leather gloves that he wore when handling his weapon. With his other hand, he raised his glass to his mouth and took a drink.

Like Zack himself had done moments before, Marlene stared at her glass of water for a moment before speaking up.

"Uncle Zack?"  
"Mmhm?" he set his glass of water back down onto the counter.

"What does this look like to you?" Marlene pointed to her glass.

"A glass of water," Zack replied.

"No," Marlene shook her head. "Does it look half-empty?" she pointed to the empty space in her glass. "Or half-full?" she pointed at the water.

"Well, it can be either," Zack answered, taking another swig of water.

"No, no, what does it look like to _you_?" Marlene repeated, a hint of teasing impatience in her voice.

"Well then, I dunno," Zack rubbed the back of his neck. "What do you think?"

"_I _think it's half-full," Marlene answered proudly.

"Oh!" Zack let his hand drop, grinning widely. "_This _question! I know this one!!"

"Of course, silly!!" Marlene pouted, then giggled.

"Well then, if that's the case," Zack picked up his glass again, raising a finger. "I know what my superior would say!" he lifted his glass a little higher and looked up at the ceiling.

"'What does it matter?'" he intoned, in a remarkably good imitation of the General who was his superior. "'A glass of water is a glass of water!!'" and upon saying that, he threw back his head and downed the remaining contents of his glass. He slammed the emptied glass back down onto the bar again, giving a loud contented sigh.

He looked down at Marlene who was stifling her laughter, and chuckled.

"But me, personally?" he nodded stoutly, grinning. "I think it's half-full too."

Ever the optimist, Zack was. He'd always looked on the brighter side of most things.

"Oh, yay!" Marlene beamed, eyes bright. She raised her hands to her chin, the legs of the moogle brushing over her lap. "I'm so happy! Very nearly everybody that I've asked has said that it's half-full!"

"'Very nearly'?" Zack asked, amused.

"Yeah," Marlene nodded. "Uncle Cid can't seem to make up his mind. Some days it's half-full and some days it's half-emtpy – and other days it's just a glass half-filled with water!!" she picked up her glass and took a long drink.

"Yep," Zack gave a laugh. "That sounds like our Cid all right."

Marlene nodded, matter-of-factly. "I've told him," she said. "I've told him a thousand times! It's always best to be an optimistic person! If you look at life that way, you get through things so much easier! A half-empty person might grumble at their problems, but a half-full person appreciates what they have to help them through it! Besides," she smiled. "Half-full people _always_ have more friends!!"

"I suppose they do," Zack replied, and marvelled at how right she was. Then again, some of the youngest children were the most perceptive, and Marlene exceptionally so.

He watched and grinned lopsidedly as Marlene tilted the glass back again, sculling the rest of her water down. She let down a 'whoosha' of air as she set her glass back down, and laughed.

Zack's grin broadened. "Speaking of half-full and half-empty…" he began. "I'm hungry."

"Me too!" Marlene nodded in agreement.

"Heh," Zack chuckled. "Then what say we go out and get something to eat?"

"I'd like that a lot!" Marlene chimed.

"Then let's go, kiddo! Quick, if we hurry, we can still get the discounts at the Burrito place down the road!!"

"Yeah!" Marlene giggled as she slipped off her chair and onto the floor.

As they held hands and walked out of the bar, Zack couldn't help thinking that he kinda liked the glass-half full kinda life. Besides, he grinned. This way he had more friends. And hey, Zack was a people-person. He was born for that kinda thing.

**-Owari-**


End file.
